https://youtu.be/Bkofegx3Lxc
(Eagle News) — The Supreme Court has issued a writ of amparo, with a temporary protection order (TPO), to the relatives of four victims allegedly killed in “Oplan Tokhang” operations last year by the Philippine National Police in Payatas, Quezon City.
In an en banc session Tuesday, January 31, the high court issued the protection order that bars respondent policemen from entering within a kilometer radius of the petitioners.
The respondent police officers were PNP Chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa, QCPD Director Police Senior Supt. Guillermo Eleazar, QCPD Police Station 6 Commander P/Supt. Lito Patay, P/SI Emil Garcia, PO3 Allan Formilleza, PO1 James Aggarao and PO1 Melchor Navisaga.
This was the first anti-Tokhang operation filed against the national police force. Tokhang refers to the illegal drugs war of the PNP that has now been halted by President Duterte because of the controversial police involvement in the kidnap-slay of a Korean businessman.
The TPO barred the respondents “from entering within a radius of one kilometer from the residence and work addresses of the petitioners.”
It was issued in favor of survivor Efren Morillo and his family members Martino and Victoria Morillo, Ma. Belen and Marla Daa, Maribeth Bartolay, Lydia Gabo, Jennifer Nicolas and Marilyn Malimban.
The petition was filed with the Supreme Court on January 26 arising from a “tokhang” operation done by Police Senior Inspector Emil Garcia, Police Officer 3 Allan Formilleza and Police Officers 1 James Aggarao and Melchor Navisaga of the Quezon City Police Station 6 on August 21, 2016 in Group 9, Area B, Payatas, Quezon City. During the police operation, Marcelo Daa Jr., Raffy Gabo, Anthony Comendo and Jessie Cule were killed.
It said that the four cops “shot dead, execution style. four men.”
A fifth victim, Efren Morillo, however survived and became a vital witness in the murder and frustrated murder cases to be filed
against the police suspects.
The petitioners also asked the high court to “produce and permit the inspection the inspection and copying or photographing of intelligence and surveillance reports, police blotters, coordination, video and all other official and unofficial documents and material pertaining to the police operations conducted on 21 August 2016 against the victims in relation to their being suspected drug personalities under Oplan Tokhang, and to other operations or activities subsequent to such incident in relation to the petitioners.”
